MSU concerts to pay tribute to MLK

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the MSU College of Music will host two free concerts this weekend to celebrate his life and work.

The concerts, called, “Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest,” will be held at 3 and 7 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Pasant Theatre of Wharton Center. The two performances are part of “The Road to Social Justice Begins with One Step” — a campus-wide effort to promote the continuation of social equality.

The lineup of performers include MSU’s Jazz Orchestras and the MSU Gospel Choir. Peter Lightfoot, a professor in the MSU College of Music, will perform as well.

The agenda for the evening also includes a variety of guest speakers, such as Jeff Wray, MSU associate professor of film studies and creative writing, and Paulette Granberry Russell, the senior adviser to President Lou Anna K. Simon for diversity, who also is the director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.

The State News will be running a special edition, Martin Luther King Jr. Day section in the paper Friday.